Speaking to the Australian press, the operator of Sydney’s M5 east tunnel has admitted accidentally venting carbon monoxide through the tunnel entrances over a period of several months. A spokesman maintained the emissions had little effect on the overall air quality for the area.
The emissions occurred on a weekly basis over several months earlier this year when a faulty air monitor led to venting taking place through the portals rather than the designated ventilation stacks. A mixture of fresh air and tunnel air that would have contained vehicle fumes was exhausted at the tunnel mouths. The problem has now been fixed.
A spokesman for the Roads and Traffic Authority agreed with the assessment of the incidents’ impact on air quality. He went on to add that it was disappointing that the problem had occurred at all.
